Culvert



Nov. 14, 1933. R LANE 1,935,273

CULVERT Filed Aug. 12, 1952 2 sheets-sheet l Y l l A l o o fg O o nvenlor `/qllomey Nov. 14, 1933. R, T, LANE 1,935,273

CULVERT Filed Aug. l2, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 figa t /0 l/ El 'g o o o o o j) o o o o o o la El rfv E i a l O o Q E g g El El /El E O l O a Jay. 4,

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Invenlor ,/1 Home y Patented Nov. 14,v 1933 Y Raymond T. Lane, Batl1N. Y.

1,935,273k .CULvER'rv Appuation Augustiaissz. seria1N0.62s,597 f 2 claims. (o1. 137-75) The present invention relatesrto a culvert and particularly to that class of the flexible type. For many years it hasrbeen conceded that a iiexible type of culvert has many advantages over the rigid type of construction. By I mean cast iron, concrete and the like. rigid type culverts are apt to be broken rigid, These or destroyed by the shifting of soils, freezing of soils and water or the heavy load imposed by traffic.

The iiexible type of culvert such as corrugated iron pipe cannot be damaged by freezing lactions and due to its flexibility. is able to withstand the shifting of soil and heavy traffic much better than the rigid type as it can change its shape and alinement without being broken.` However, it has been known for some timethat the corrugated 'type of culvert, which depends almost entirely upon the earth surrounding` it vvfor strengthshould have more inherent strength in order that it might better meet the conditions of service. It has been advanced by those concerned with corrugated metal pipes that the great flexibility of the culvertwould permit the vertical diameters to shorten and the horizontal diameter to lengthenwhen heavy loads were imposed upon it, thereby increasing the pressure of the against the sides. This has been proven earth to be true, but in a great many instances pressure of the earth at the sides cannot be found great enough to l'equal the top load and the results have in these instances been vfailures b lapse. Y Y

It is also true that the flexible type of culvert is designed to work under conditions of service where the pressure at the sides is slightly greater than those at the top and bottom and under no conditions should it be calledupon to act as a beam across unequal foundations Where the points of bearing cause the invert to collapse. It has been found necessary to tamp the back lls around the pipe very carefully and this e pipeY together with the natural `tendency of th to deect under heavy loads has been the method of gaining additional strength.

of my culvert are held securely in place by cradle arms which in turn are securely fa to a structural steel or iron shelf. By me heavy stened ans of its action in. building up supports from the earth beneath these shelves, as will hereinafter be more fully described, the culvert, from `a structural standpoint, is able to combat any conditi ons of the strength of the structure as a whole.

Vstrong and durable, thoroughly efficient and reliablein use andotherwise well adapted to; the purpose for which it is designed.

With the above and numerous other objects in View aswillA appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features v of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts as rWill behereinafter more fullyk describedy and claimed.

. Inthe drawings: ,l u u V,

Figure 1 is` a vertical longitudinal section througha culvert embodying the features of my invention.

Figure 2 is a through. l l

Figure 3 is a topplan view of the bottom section.

Figure i is a bottom plan view thereof.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective View showing the bottom section with a structural a steel or iron shelf detached therefrom.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the cradle arms.

Referring to the drawings in detail it will be seen that the numeral 5 denotes a bottomsemicylindrical section which may be of any desired thickness and numeral 6 denotes a top semicylindrical section. The thickness of the bottom section 5 may be less than the thickness of the top section 6 without substantially detracting from The top section is corrugated. Fastened to the outer side of the bottom section 5 are heavy cradle arms 7 offarcuate formation to conform to the curvature of the section 5 and preferably of T- f.; shaped formation vin cross section. |he cradle arms 7 are preferably spaced about four feet apart and there being one at each end of the culvert or section thereof. The end cradle 'arms are preferably of L-shaped formation in cross section to facilitate connecting two or more lengths of culvert. `The arms may be fastenedinpiace by means of bolts 8 or any other suitable fastening means. The bottom section at its longitudinal edges is provided with apair of outwardly directed f longitudinal anges 9 to which are fastened strucvertical transverse section there- Ytural steel or iron shelves 10 of Lshaped formaand the flanges 9 may be used Aas such without the addition of the top section 6. However, for use as a culvert under roads, railroad embankments and the like where heavy loads are imposed on the culvert, it is necessary to add the top other filling material beneath the shelves l0 is' compacted in the following manner. rlhe culvert, when placed in the trench, rests upon the cradle arms 7 the legs of which hold the bottom section 5 above the bottom of the trench thus leaving a space for the culvert to settle. The thickness and depth of these legs will `depend upon the diameter of the culvert and the character of the soil beneath, the thickness being great enough to support the weight of the culvert and the depth being great enough to permit the filling material beneath the shelves 10 to b e properly con'uoacted.l In making the fill the material is so placed as to leave the space beneath the bottom section 5 substantially free of filling material. As the weight of the filling materialor live load comes upon the top of the culvert the legs of the cradle arms 7 are forced into the'soil and the material beneath the shelves 10 is compacted. Since the depth of the legs is sufficient to enable the compacted material to support the entire load, the bottom section 5 is not forced to support an excessive amount of the load to which the culvert is subjected.

The present embodiment of the invention has been described in considerable detail merely for the purposes of exemplication since in actual practice it attains the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description.

t-will be apparent that changes in the detailsV of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the Vinvention `as hereinafter claimed orrsacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described myv invention, what I claim as new is:

l. A culvert of the class described comprising a bottom section having outwardly extending flanges at its side edges a cradle member in which the bottom section rests and to which it is secured, the ends of said cradle members resting against Y the bottom faces of the flanges, an angle bar connected to the upper face of each flange by its horizontal flange, the vertical flange of each angle bar being arranged outwardly, and a top section having its edges resting on the angle bars',- the vertical flangespreventing the edge portions of said top section from moving outwardly 01T the bars. Y

2. A culvert of the class described comprising a plurality of arcuate cradle members, a semi-cylin drical bottom section resting in the cradle inembers and secured thereto, said bottom section having outwardly extending flanges at its edges having portions resting on the ends ofthe cradle 105 members, an angle-shaped bar having `its horizontal flange resting on each liange of the bottom member, with its vertical iiange extending upwardly'from the outer edge of the horizontal ange, bolts passing through the horizontal 1i() flanges of the angle bars and thru the flanges of the bottom sections, and atop section of semi-v cylindrical shape having its edges seated on the angle bars and located between the vertical flanges thereof and portions ofthe bolts.

"RAYMOND T. LANE. 

